Author: Breffni Banks

With only 6 weeks to go, Sea Sessions have announced their day to day line up along with 2 brand new stages.

Headliner Dizzee Rascal performs Friday 22 June followed by Walking On Cars on Saturday 23 June and Rudimental on Sunday 24 June 2018.  Hannah Wants and Dusky will headline the new Astoria Dance Stage and Irish album chart toppers Delorentos and The Blizzards will headline the new Monroe’s stage.

Sea Sessions, who return to the unique festival setting of Donegal’s Bundoran, has sold out weeks in advance over the last three years and this year promises to be bigger and better than any year yet as festival organisers celebrate 10 years partying by the beach in 2018.

Friday 22 June 2018

Dizzee Rascal, Dusky, Hudson Taylor, Le Galaxie, Versatile, Fekky, DJ Yoda (AV show), The Hot Sprockets, DJ Deece, Molly Sterling, Amber & The Bear, New Valley Wolves, Thumper, Alan Finan, Order of the Mess, Ciara Brady

Saturday 23 June 2018

Walking On Cars, Hannah Wants, Chasing Abbey, The Blizzards, Jerry Fish, Wild Youth, Kormac (AV show), David Keenan, Brave Giant, Interskalactic, Willie & The Bandits, Get Down Edits, 1000 Beasts, Vernon Jane, Colin Perkins, Sixpenny Plug

Sunday 24 June 2018 

Rudimental, Everything Everything, Delorentos, Greg Wilson, Stomptown Brass, Fabio, DJ Mek, Marc O’Reilly, Waldorf & Cannon, Elaine Mai, Slow Place Like Home, Ryan McMullan, Delta Fuse, A Different Animal, Motion DJs.

With their unique blend of quality acts, beach sports,  surfing and a stunning location right on Bundoran beach on the Wild Atlantic Way, Sea Sessions has evolved organically over the years and is much more than just a music festival.

Sea Sessions surfing and sports events have become an important kick off to the tourist season in Bundoran and have made Sea Sessions an integral part of the Irish festival circuit.  Winner of IMRO Festival of the year at the 2017 IMRO awards alongside picking up the gong for Festival of the year at the “Excellence in local Government Awards”, Sea Sessions has gone from strength to strength.

Sea Sessions 2018 festival lineup includes Dizzee Rascal, Walking On Cars, Rudimental, Everything Everything, Hannah Wants, Dusky, Delorentos, Chasing Abbey, Hudson Taylor, Le Galaxie, Jerry Fish, Kormac (Av Show), Fekky, The Blizzards, Versatile, DJ Yoda (AV Show), Wild Youth, Greg Wilson, Stomptown Brass, Fabio, Ryan Mc Mullan, The Hot Sprockets, DJ Deece, David Keenan, Wille & The Bandits, Slow Place Like Home, Waldorf & Cannon, Amber & The Bear, Marc O Reilly, Get Down Edits, DJ Mek, Brave Giant, New Valley Wolves, Elaine Mai, The Clandestinos, 1000 Beasts, Vernon Jane, Thumper, Alan Finan, Delta Fuse, Salty Sea Dogs, Bpm, Colin Perkins, A Different Animal, Order of The Mess and Ciara Brady.

Over the years such luminaries as Tinie Tempah, Paul Weller, Bastille, Seasick Steve and loads more have graced their unique stages. The Festival started way back in 2008 as an after party for a Surfing Competition. Now it holds the top Surfing Competition in the country as well as hosting the worlds top skateboarders, BMX’ers and loads of beach sports. Supported by and working with DonegalCounty Council and Failte Ireland the event has become an important kick start to the tourist season for the capital of Irish surfing in Bundoran.

Early Bird tickets have now sold out but tickets are still available from all Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, www.ticketmaster.ie. Priced from €109.90 for 3 days and €134.90 including 4 nights camping. There’s also limited single day tickets available from €49.50, Surfer Bar (VIP) Upgrades from €50 extra plus Glamping options. Check www.seasessions.com for more details.

Sea Sessions
22nd – 24th June 2018.
www.ticketmaster.ie and Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide

Forget Daft Punk. Forget Enya. The Stasi are the new soundtrack to your collective existential crisis. Think big guitars, whiskey stained vocals and smart songs that linger in the mind like last night’s indiscretions.

Their first album ‘Love In The Age Of Narcissism’ is out now available from www.thestasimusic.com / SPOTIFY / iTunes / GOOGLEMusic.

Founding members Caoimhe Connolly and James Walmsley spent the best part of a year honing material, playing private shows for friends and late night house guests before holing up in Ravensdale Studios to record in the last days of 2017.

The self-produced tracks are mastered by Led Zepplin, Rolling Stones and The Who producer Jon Astley (no relation to Rick).

On the bass is Jonny Jude and on drums Sean Connolly (he IS a relation -to Caoimhe, not Rick). The boys were torn kicking and screaming from their usual instruments – guitar and bass respectively – to lay down a hefty, straight-up rhythm section.

The Stasi will begin touring with this line-up this summer.

Log on to www.thestasimusic.com to keep abreast of developments.

INDIVIDUAL BAND BIOS …

James Walmsley (Guitars, Vocals) toured the world as frontman for cult comedy rock band Dead Cat Bounce. He made numerous TV appearances in Australia, Canada, UK and Ireland and starred in the multi-award winning feature film Discoverdale. (http://www.discoverdale.com/) His 2016 solo album ‘A Little Wisdom’ released under the moniker Black Wing Bird was picked as one of GoldenPlec’s hidden pleasures. (https://www.goldenplec.com/featured/hidden-pleasures-2/)

Caoimhe Connolly (Vocals, Guitar, Bass) works as a Creative Producer for Festivals + live TELE when she’s not on the microphone. She’s co-founded Voice Over company Dulcet + Gravel, Produces Scene + Heard Festival (http://smockalley.com/sceneandheard/), is the programmer for FLEADHTV,(which won the 2015 IFTA, Best LIVE Event).

Creative audio collaborations include ‘The Voices in My Headphones’ sound installation with Midightscowl Orchestre, ‘Something, Something Vampire’ soundscape with Cabaret Yoko, ‘Lena’ live performance as part of SCORE by Breach + Quinn (DFF, 2016).

Jonny ‘Filth’ Jude (Bass, Guitar, Vocals) Played the first real six string. Seriously.

Previous live shows / guitar shredding for ETC, TTLOVE (not the Spanish LINGERIE) and SHAKALAK; John Cummins (poetician) + Fin Divilly’s (https://www.facebook.com/fin.divilly) who will play Body & Soul, Doolin Folk + BARE IN THE WOODS, Indiependence, Bobstock + All Together Now this summer. HOT YES.

Sean Connolly (Drums) When he’s not in the groove, Sean makes furniture. Also, DRUM.

Comes with own swizzle spoon. Enjoys Silver Darlings.

Saarloos are a new Irish band consisting of acclaimed songwriters Craig Gallagher and Brian McGovern (former Fallen Drakes). Having formed a formidable songwriting partnership they felt a desire to perform their songs together onstage. Together they already racked up a massive combined 4 million plays on Spotify and both have performed alongside artists such as Gavin James, The Coronas, Daniel Bedingfield,  Picture This and Bon Jovi. As well as touring across Europe selling out show’s in Amsterdam, Rotterdam an three Sold Out nights Dublin Whelans. Their debut single “Changes” is release his Friday 9th May and is produced by London based producer Ollie Green. Saarloos will be opening for Gavin James for all upcoming Irish and European tours starting May 30th in Brussels.

30 May 18
Het Depot
Leuven

31 May 18
De Oosterpoort
Groningen

01 Jun 18
TivoliVredenburg
Utrecht

02 Jun 18
CAFE DE LA DANSE
Paris

04 Jun 18
KØBENHAVN V Lille Vega
Copenhagen

06 Jun 18
Nachtleben
Frankfurt Am Main

07 Jun 18
artheater Köln
Cologne

09 Jun 18
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
London

11 Jun 18
Santeria Social Club
Milano

12 Jun 18
Amboss Rampe
Zurich

16 Jun 18
Live At The Marquee
Cork

20 Jul 18
Galway Arts Festival, Big Top
Galway

21 Jul 18
Kings John’s Castle
Limerick

28 Jul 18
Trinity College Park
Dublin

facebook.com/saarloosmusic
twitter.com/saarloosmusic

A. Smyth continues his run of releases with his third single of 2018.

‘Coming Back To You’ follows hot on the success of ‘Be There’, a track Nialler 9 highlighted as one of his Irish songs of the week and which GoldenPlec applauded for its “shimmering folk sound reminiscent of Ryan Adams”.

Adams is again a touch point on ‘Coming Back To You’, a raucous track that further highlights Smyth’s ability to flit between genres.

Sounding as radically different as it is familiar, the rollicking punk-infused track calls to mind The Replacements and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

Producer Darragh Nolan (Asta Kalapa) is again at the helm, while a video has been produced by Ultravíolet (Jason Foran & Conor Maloney), an emerging cohort of Irish music video directors. Cinematography on the ‘Coming Back To You’ video is provided by Rua Meegan (Outsider, Ryan Sheridan).

Live Shows:

Whelan’s Dublin May 5th (Supporting Hue & Cry)
Empire Music Hall Belfast May 6th (Supporting Hue & Cry)
Music @ Meltdown Dublin May 10th
Whelans Dublin May 13th (Men for Repeal)
Castlepalooza Festival  Co Laois August 4th
Indiependence Festival Cork August 5th

www.facebook.com/asmythofficial
www.twitter.com/asmythmusic
www.instagram.com/asmythmusic
www.asmythmusic.com
www.soundcloud.com/asmythmusic

The title track from Robb Murphy’s second album, ‘Sleep Tonight’ featuring The Ulster String Quartet is being released with the support of The Samaritans. It aims to raise awareness for mental health and the importance of communication rather than suppressing the condition. Prescription medication is of course required in some cases, but too often we resort to it as the only solution. Accompanying the song is the just released animated video by Maria Bevcar that narrates the issues an individual may face in day-to-day life. The video helps to highlight some of the best sources of help – reaching out to family, friends and experienced professionals.

While creating the album ‘Sleep Tonight’ Robb’s mother passed away unexpectedly. She had suffered from a mental illness for many years, undergoing treatment with many different medications but sadly this therapy never provided her with long-term relief from her illness. The recording of ‘Sleep Tonight’ gave Robb a focus and helped him during this loss. As the album’s finale, ‘Sleep Tonight’ brings to the forefront all of Robb’s creative endeavors in a six and a half minute production. This is the last release from the ‘Sleep Tonight’ album. Robb is currently working on new material

The animation video was released at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness week on the 14th of May. The single is available for pre-release now and releases on the 1st of June. All proceeds will be donated to The Samaritans.

Ralph McLean of BBC- Radio Ulster says, “Robb Murphy is a real talent. His songs are melodic and magical. He writes from the heart and the results are spellbinding.”

Live Dates:
3rd of June at 101 Donegal Street, Belfast.
Animation screening and full band show with The Ulster String Quartet.
Support by Randall Stephen Hall and Brigid O’Neill

Irish band Beoga release new single ‘We Don’t Have To Run’ today, with singer/songwriter Ryan McMullan guesting on lead vocals. Since signing with Spirit B-Unique Records, Beoga have been working hard on new music, collaborating with Foy Vance and Johnny McDaid amongst a host of other names. ‘We Don’t Have To Run’ is the first single to be taken from their forthcoming album.

Ryan McMullan, who originally hails from Portaferry in Co. Down, has been causing a stir in the industry for the last year, supporting acts like Ed Sheeran and Foy Vance as well as headlining his own sold out shows around the world. Seán Og Graham was the first member of Beoga to meet Ryan, in the studio in Antrim, and they forged an instant connection both musically and personally. As Eamon Murray says, “Being able to work with Ryan is an absolute pleasure. When people hear him in the flesh, they realise he’s got something really special.” The band already had the musical idea for ‘We Don’t Have To Run’ and when they played the bones of it to Ryan he came up with the chorus straight away. The resulting track is a powerful percussive tune with tight vocal harmonies swirling around a dynamic violin riff.

The video for ‘We Don’t Have To Run’ is directed by Alex Gill and produced by Michael Donnelly, and it depicts a situation that is all too familiar in modern Ireland: a mother and her daughter living in emergency accommodation due to homelessness. The young girl tries to escape the reality of her situation by creating a makebelieve world with her friend, full of fantasy, colour and fun; somewhere that represents the safe place that every child in this country has the right to.

Director Alex says, “From my point of view the song is about standing up for what you believe in. I suppose this could be interpreted in many different ways but I thought it would be a good opportunity to shine a light on a issue that is prevalent in Ireland right now.” Eamon agrees: “This song is about solidarity and how we shouldn’t run or hide from the issues that face us all. To be able to touch on the issue of homelessness in a sensitive way and to have our song as a backdrop for Alex and Michael’s work is an honour.”

Beoga (Irish for ‘lively’) have been in existence for fifteen years, and in that time they’ve produced five critically acclaimed albums, been shortlisted for a Grammy and performed with the Ulster Orchestra at the BBC Proms.  They are described by the Wall Street Journal as ‘the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century’.

2017, was something of a banner year for Beoga as they co-wrote the massive international hit ‘Galway Girl’ with Ed Sheeran and performed with him to 150,000 people at Glastonbury, taking them to a new audience and a new level. Ed has once again asked the band to support him and they are looking forward to being onstage at his Irish dates in May: Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on 4^th, 5^th and 6^th May, Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast on 9^th May, Pearse Stadium in Galway on 12^th and 13^th May, and the Phoenix Park in Dublin on 16^th, 18^th and 19^th of May.

With an album release in the near future and more tour dates in the diary, 2018 looks set to be another hectic year for Beoga.

See Beoga opening for Ed Sheeran on his Irish Tour.

4, 5, 6 May                              Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork                   Supporting Ed Sheeran

9 May                                      Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast       Supporting Ed Sheeran

12 & 13 May                            Pearse Stadium, Galway                 Supporting Ed Sheeran

16, 18 & 19 May                      Phoenix Park, Dublin                       Supporting Ed Sheeran

Beoga’s September headline tour will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday 8^th May 

Thur. 20 September                The Empire, Belfast

Sat. 22 September                  Dolan’s, Limerick

Sun. 23 September                 Set Theatre, Kilkenny

Thurs. 27 September              Grand Social, Dublin

Fri 28 September                    Roisin Dubh, Galway

Sat. 29 September                  St Luke’s, Cork

http://www.beogamusic.com/

‘Wounds’ is the just released debut album from “electro-blues” duo Inner City Radio.

The album explores human issues of love, lust, heartache, despair and anxiety through electronic beats, and organic rock and blues sounds. Sean and Emily have been carving a name for themselves the past year having been tipped by Niall Byrne of The Irish Times, and 2FM’s Dan Hegarty. The duo have also performed live on Today FM’s Paul Mc Loone Sessions.

www.facebook.com/innercityradio

With the release of her debut single, Alice Lynskey has beckoned to the world, commanding our attention! Already a proven chart hitting songwriter (having written ‘Run and Hide’ for The Stunning) her voice is both engaging and haunting through each and every melodic turn.

‘Devil in Me’ was recorded at The Production Suite by Chris O’Brien and Graham Murphy. Alice describes it as pop with a dash of retro for good measure, saying she wrote it about that dark side within us all.  We can fight it, we can hide it but we know that its always there, just waiting for us to slip…..

Alice Lynskey’s songs range from country to pop and a fresh combination of the two, which is reflected in her influences. Having grown up in a house filled with many music styles, the varying sounds and vibes of Britney Spears, Aimee Mann, ABBA, Mary Black , Elvis, Queen, Carrie Underwood, Johnny Cash, Pink, The Beatles, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Albert Hammond and Florence an The Machine to name but a a few, are all mixed in with a definite Nashville influence.

To date Alice has played support to many great acts including The 4 of Us, The Don Baker and Rob Strong Band (whom she will again support in The Wexford Art Centre in June) and The Carole Nelson Trio, with many more gigs planned for the year ahead. She has also appeared and sung on RTÉ 2FM, East Coast Radio and her local South East Radio.

Alice is originally from Tallaght in Dublin and is now living in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Singing from a very young age her first taste of show biz was at age 6 having joined the Helen Jordan dance school. She appeared in the Olympia theatre showcase, dancing and wishing she could sing too.

Due to her nanny and grandad’s love of poetry and rhyme she began writing limericks in primary school, and then moved on to songs. She soon began entering school and local talent competitions and has since sung in the 3Arena, The Helix, Enniscorthy Castle, The Wexford Arts Centre and The Mermaid Centre Bray as well as on RTÉ TV.

Alice studied Pharmaceutical Science at DIT Cathal Brugha Street, and now works as an analyst in the pharma industry in Wicklow. She took classical voice training with the Deirdre Masterson School in Wexford.

Alice  has already penned her next release schedule for late summer, to be followed soon after by an EP.

Alice is a frequent performer at the Ri Sessions in The Olde Ship pub in Arklow. She also plays in Jack Nealons as part of the Tuesday Melt Sessions and at The Wexford Arts Centre as part of PwC Spotlight programme for emerging music artists. She will be playing “ The End of the Bar” sessions in An Uisce Beatha Bar Waterford in June.

“…. an assured singer with a confident stage presence…….melodic songs with a compelling lyrical maturity. Particularly striking was her ’Love to Heal’, about the pressures of being an outsider, as was the winning ‘Red Handed Woman’ with its narrative about a woman surviving an attempted rape to murder her assailant, before finishing with a taut version of her imminent debut single, Devil In Me” Jackie Hayden

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